To help you decide what designs you like most, we included various patterns and printings in our review section. From cherry blossoms to fiery dragons, from checkered boxes to padded pugs, there is a lot to explore. You have to remember that you will be using this skateboard for years/months to come. Therefore, it’s important to choose a design that you think is cool, not a design that will look cool to others!
Originally referred to as sidewalk surfing, the birth of skateboarding dates back to the early 1940s and the use of wooden boxes with roller skates attached to their bottoms. While the board itself cannot necessarily be attributed to a single inventor of the time and was, instead, a spontaneous invention from multiple sources, the modern style of many of today's skateboards took form during the 1950s when California surfers were looking for a physical activity to keep them busy during times when the waves were flat. The first manufactured skateboards were ordered by a Los Angeles surf shop and were designed to be used by surf enthusiasts during their downtime. At the time, the shop owner set up an arrangement with the Chicago Roller Skate Company to produce sets of skate wheels, which the shop would then attach to square wooden boards.

The skateboard has a solid and stiff mini-deck, which is around 22 inches and constructed out of 100% plastic material. Such deck is very lightweight. It is only four pounds but you have an assurance that it can handle up to 198 lbs. of weight. You will also fall in love with the board as it comes in 23 graphics and colors, so picking a favorite is much easier.

The use of skateboards solely as a form of transportation is often associated with the longboard.[108] Depending on local laws, using skateboards as a form of transportation outside residential areas may or may not be legal.[109] Backers cite portability, exercise, and environmental friendliness as some of the benefits of skateboarding as an alternative to automobiles.
Skateboards, along with other small-wheeled transportation such as in-line skates and scooters, suffer a safety problem: riders may easily be thrown from small cracks and outcroppings in pavement, especially where the cracks run across the direction of travel. Hitting such an irregularity is the major cause of falls and injuries.[102] The risk may be reduced at higher travel speeds.
Go for the low truck profile if you want to obtain additional stability when you do flip tricks. It also works well for small wheels. The mid-sized trucks are good for all-around use, especially in streets and parks. You can also choose the high-sized trucks that are good for carving and cruising, which is the reason why they are perfect for huge wheels.

The Element Quadrant #14 board is 8-inches wide and 31.75-inches long, from nose to tail. This deck features a bare top that needs grip tape and a design on the bottom with four quadrants featuring the Element symbol in alternating red and black backgrounds. The wheelbase between the trucks is just over 14 inches while the nose is 7 inches and the tail is 6.325.

There were several artistic skateboarding pioneers that had an influence on the culture of skateboarding during the 1980s, that transformed skateboard-deck art like Jim Phillips, whose edgy comic-book style "Screaming Hand", not only became the main logo for Santa Cruz Skateboards, but eventually transcended into tattoos of the same image for thousands of people and vinyl collectible figurines over the years.[93][94][95] Artist Vernon Courtlandt Johnson is said to have used his artwork of skeletons and skulls, for Powell Peralta, during the same time that the music genres of punk rock and new wave music were beginning to mesh with the culture of skateboarding.[8][96][97] Some other notable skateboard artists that made contribrutions to the culture of skateboarding also include Andy Jenkins, Todd Bratrud, Neil Blender, Marc McKee, Tod Swank, Mark Gonzales, Lance Mountain, Natas Kaupas and Jim Evans.[98][99]
Unique Designs: The unique designs of Globe skateboards make them one of the most innovative and unique skateboard companies in the world today. They were professional skateboarders who began their business because they were not satisfied with the quality of boards available. With Globe, that changed. You can now count on reliable, unique designed boards.
The Atom has also improved its position from 4th to 3rd in 2018. You can trust these Longboards. They are continuously improving their product quality and increasing communication with general and potential customers. Correspondingly, they provide an opportunity for customers to select from a wide range of style, color, design and price to the customers. If the improving rate becomes constant, it will quickly switch to the upper position immediately.
There are a lot of good skateboard brands out there. For a start, you can check out this list of Top Skateboard Deck Brands, but there are piles of other brands out there that are great. There are local brands, brands from other countries, and brands that you or I have never heard of. Aside from a skateboard company's reputation for quality and good design, a brand is also a brand; that is, it comes with its own character and cred. You might like a brand simply for what it represents, whether that's the company's attitude or its team or its presence at the skate park. The first step in choosing a brand is getting out there and seeing what's available.

If you’re a beginner and you want a board that gives you a little of everything to discover, you cannot go wrong with this ENJOI board. You get everything you need, all ready to go out of the box, and made with professional-grade components. The ENJOI also earns points for having that classic cool artwork on the deck that makes it fun to show off at the park.

You’re just looking for a quality skateboard to buy for a beginner (either you or someone you know), but you have no idea where to start. You see bearings, hardware, wheels, decks, and trucks being advertised but don’t want to spend hours researching which individual part to buy. This is how I felt when I was first looking to but a complete skateboard for my nephew for Christmas many years ago. I wanted something that he would love, but also that was safe and would not break the bank. After researching and making a decision I thought it would be useful to share this information with others who may be in a similar situation.
FTC has grown from being the staple skate shop of the Bay Area to being a respected brand pushing skateboarding across the globe. Their SF flagship sits in the famous Haight Ashburry district, always attracting visitors and giving them a look into what skateboarding is really like in this day and age. FTC will have you covered in their own gear, and will also always be pushing the next big thing in their shops, and they never make a bad call.
Mixing a clean and colourful graphical identity with tongue-in-cheek parodies of existing brand logos (most notably the now largely discontinued Starbucks homage), Skateboard Cafe have carved a niche within the flooded UK skateboard market largely based on their skater-owned status, the lack of conceit in their identity and a regular and well-received output of video content.
Powell has made sure to provide their customers with more than one design of one of their most sought-after skateboards. The Golden Dragon 2 is very similar to its predecessor, the Golden Dragon and is just as reliable as its sister model. When it comes to skateboarding, you can’t ask for a better board than the Golden Dragon 2. It’s durable, firm and thanks to the concave skateboard deck design, will allow you to do many tricks. Tricks, that other boards could possibly not support as well.

Started by a group of guys who decided to stick together after the fall of Alien Workshop, Quasi skateboards presses boards and prints shirts featuring psychedelic art for the year 2015, offering something different than most board brands today. Backed by a team boasting hometown heroes and certified style gawds, Quasi is a board company everybody wanted that nobody had made yet.

Well, independent skateboard brands, like Birdhouse skateboards or Blind Skateboards are prevalent. The DIY factor over the various skateboarding brands of course, acquires attention for the beginners in skating. But, for intermediate and expert level jumps, the names of best selling skateboard brands rule the market. Everyone considers the top 10 skateboard brands, but we have explained the top 12 skateboard brands for you. Why do we consider these top 12 skateboard brands? Well, our inclination lies in quality and efficiency. Whether, you belong to the beginner or expert level, whether you seek for the skateboard shoe brands or skateboard deck brands, we are here to assist you.
A “razor tail” is the term for when the tail of the skateboard deck becomes sharpened and worn due regular use and scraping the tail of your skateboard on the ground to stop. When your deck gets razor tail, its becomes a weapon against you and anyone need you while you’re skating as being hit with a sharpened tail is very painful. To avoid this from happening, you could buy a carbon fiber deck that may be more resistant to wear, but more importantly you should not scrape your tail to stop. Instead you can lightly place one foot or toe down to slow your speed or powerslide to a stop.

A “razor tail” is the term for when the tail of the skateboard deck becomes sharpened and worn due regular use and scraping the tail of your skateboard on the ground to stop. When your deck gets razor tail, its becomes a weapon against you and anyone need you while you’re skating as being hit with a sharpened tail is very painful. To avoid this from happening, you could buy a carbon fiber deck that may be more resistant to wear, but more importantly you should not scrape your tail to stop. Instead you can lightly place one foot or toe down to slow your speed or powerslide to a stop.

We love Powell Peralta for a number of reasons as do all its customers but the foremost reason being its variety in terms of the skateboards that it manufactures. It has a collection of 30 different skateboard models, with a fusion of unique graphics and colors. They offer different skateboards that you can choose from, depending on your riding style, budget, body fitness and riding style.

In 2015, Hockey was announced to the world as Fucking Awesome’s sister brand with the release of their first eponymous video clip ‘Hockey‘ featuring riders John Fitzgerald and Donovon Piscopo. Since that first release Hockey have added former Anti Hero rider Andrew Allen to their team, along with Ben Kadow, a move announced in their second video – Hockey II.
The logo is the powerful icon that represents the company's legacy, while graphic styles tend to ebb and flow. Just as skateboarding has evolved and changed over the decades, the skateboard logo has as well, for better and for worse. Picking out the top 50 logos in skateboarding isn't an easy task. Do you separate the logo from the company and base it on visual appeal? I think that's impossible given the nature of skating. Ultimately, these are logos from companies that built the landscape of skateboarding from the ground up. So you have to take into consideration the impact of the brand as well as the logo it represents. If a logo has personal importance to you, then that's all that matters. My list is only one opinion and forged from jumping into skateboarding in 1984.
There were several artistic skateboarding pioneers that had an influence on the culture of skateboarding during the 1980s, that transformed skateboard-deck art like Jim Phillips, whose edgy comic-book style "Screaming Hand", not only became the main logo for Santa Cruz Skateboards, but eventually transcended into tattoos of the same image for thousands of people and vinyl collectible figurines over the years.[93][94][95] Artist Vernon Courtlandt Johnson is said to have used his artwork of skeletons and skulls, for Powell Peralta, during the same time that the music genres of punk rock and new wave music were beginning to mesh with the culture of skateboarding.[8][96][97] Some other notable skateboard artists that made contribrutions to the culture of skateboarding also include Andy Jenkins, Todd Bratrud, Neil Blender, Marc McKee, Tod Swank, Mark Gonzales, Lance Mountain, Natas Kaupas and Jim Evans.[98][99]
Many of the most popular skateboard brands sponsor teams of skaters, like Zero's Jamie Thomas and Element's Barn Margera. Professional skaters are often good sources of information as to what skateboard you should buy. If a pro skater rides a certain board, there is a good chance that if he or she finds that it is high enough quality you will also like the board. Users looking for a new skateboard will want to research a variety of different brands to find the one that best suits their needs, based on function and features.
I'm 31 years old and just started skateboarding for the first time I bought a creature because of the p2 kevlar veneer they throw in before the final veneer goes on plus the nose is a little less tapered then the tail making it slightly bigger but the pop I get or the spring is nutty you can feel the board torgue up power in the tail just before you launch very happy with my puchase salvatore rochester ny
It's too cold and dark to skate in Sweden for about six months out of the year. That must be when brand mastermind/artist Pontus Alv schemes on the global takeover he's been orchestrating for Polar. Not only are the brand's hats, tees, and hoodies some of the most coveted gear in the skate universe, the Polar team travels the globe hosting events, filming video clips, and getting people hyped on vigilante-style street skating. Look for Polar to come to your hood and build awesome, illegal concrete skate obstacles under a bridge, then bounce like gnarly, European skate tooth fairies. Good luck finding a tee or hat at this point—hype has made to goods rare, but let's hope as the excitement grows Mr. Alv will expand his distro.
Skateboard Cafe’s video releases to date include the initial Skateboard Cafe Promo (2012) featuring the original team of Harry Ogilvie, Shaun Currie, Josh Arnott, Tom Gibbs, Louis Marshall and Pat Garrahy plus associated friends. This was followed by Skateboard Cafe’s first full-length video ‘Alfresco‘ in 2015, followed by a rash of single rider and tour-based video releases since. Skateboard Cafe are also notable for conducting every aspect of their business in-house with all video, design and product sourcing undertaken by the owners, as well as using video look-books to promote each new drop of Skateboard Cafe product.

Mini Cruisers have exploded in popularity in recent years. These short and skinny boards may not have the versatility of a standard skateboard, allowing for a full range of tricks and travel, but they are ideal for urban and college living where space for storage and riding are both minimal. If you want to ride a mini-cruiser, but you hate the plastic decks or you want to build your own, check out the Bamboo Skateboard mini cruiser deck.

The Landwalker 22″ Complete Skateboard has a sturdy 7 layer Canadian maple deck. It’s best for downhill, U table and slider because of its enormous stability. This board is best for teens and adults. It comes with Abec 7″ Bearings, PU wheels, Black Grip Tape, and hardware. It measures 79 x 20 x 10 cm. This board is an awesome gift for Christmas or Halloween.

Progressive designs deliver a more dramatic upward curve and a wider base, providing increasingly secure footing and a locked-in feel. The W-concave shape is more narrow with an additional center curve, allowing for a greater shift in energy between the heel and toe. This design also boasts more responsive control and quick turning capabilities. Tub concave decks resemble the radial shape, however their rails extend at a sharp angle instead of a gradual curve. Asymmetrical decks feature rails that extend at different angles, affording more power to a rider's heels when making turns. Less commonly used are decks with convex and completely flat shapes. Convex boards offer an upwards-arching shape, which some downhill skateboarders prefer for a more natural feel, whereas flat designs increase available foot space and are more popular for experienced riders looking to perform fancy tricks.
There are three types of skateboards: classic, retro, and snake. Classic boards are the most common and what you generally find when you go shopping. Retro boards are longer and have larger wheels. They are great for skating long distances but inferior to classic boards for doing tricks. A snake board is not appropriate for kids since it requires intensive balance and has only one wheel.
That’s a lot of wood! But it is by no means the end. In 2016 there were many other brands that have pleased us with wooden works of art. Chocolate were inspired by modern living shown in their Modern Homes series, Welcome beautifully presented decks in original shapes, and the two German brands Inpeddo and Mob showed that seven layers do not necessarily have to come from overseas.
Where do you live? I forget that this is a global community. If you're US/CA I would recommend going to a local shop and testing some out and see what you like the most cause a Girl will be different from an Almost from an Expedition in very little ways that might turn you off the board shape more than their graphics/team. I would get between a 8" and 8.25" deck though.

Hanna-Barbera, DC Comics and Todd Francis – at Almost, childhood dreams come true. But on the top sheet, however, is no place for childishness: Willow, Haslam, Song, Mullen and Co. are ripping it on these decks and can hardly be surpassed in ability. To provide the needed strength for the guys Almost has invented the innovative Impact Technology. The two lost places are a minor matter because Almost makes their own thing anyway. Up to 8 layers are available from 62.99 € | 55.00 GBP!

Thunder trucks are solid, with some great innovations. Thunder's light truck range claims ​to be the lightest available, with the quickest turning. Thunder's team is also pretty impressive, with Thomas, Appleyard, Marks, Steamer, Ellington. The list is actually pretty huge. If having a lot of pros ride the same trucks as you is important (which isn't a bad idea - these people are skating in competitions, and want the best!), then take a look at Thunder.
FTC was cool before there were skate and hype blogs around to tell you that they were cool. Mastermind Kent Uyehara built his brand from the back of a sporting goods shop into an international symbol of cool, with franchise locations in Sacramento, Tokyo, and Barcelona. FTC isn't just the go-to spot for skate gear in those cities-it's a full-blown brand that any skater would be proud to wear.
Unlike California, where the sun always shines and the pavement has never seen snow and salt, New York only has a handful of skate brands. Funny when you think about the rich history skateboarding has in the City. 5Boro is one of the brands that has been keeping the tradition alive for more than a decade, and next time you see founder Steve Rodriguez out skating, thank him for making so much happen for skaters in NYC.
Swing boarding is the activity where a skateboard deck is suspended from a pivot point above the rider which allows the rider to swing about that pivot point. The board swings in an arc which is a similar movement to riding a half pipe. The incorporation of a harness and frame allows the rider to perform turns spins all while flying though the air.
Grind King skateboard trucks are the best trucks available for grinding. The truck hangar is made from aluminum, making it softer and weaker, but better for grinding. This means you will have to replace them faster if you grind, but your grinds will be smoother and better. Grind King trucks do use special hex-head kingpins, so you will need a special tool to adjust them.
Another great pro option, Element is definitely one of the top 3 brands in skateboarding. This deck is also slightly slimmer than the Enjoi deck above so it would be an even better choice for someone with small feet or who is very young. This board has an iconic look that will be recognized by most skaters, and it has the quality to last much longer than most other skateboards on the market.
POSITIV has begun to gain some serious momentum in the past years. They released an entire line of team completes in sizes ranging from 7.5-8.0″ at very affordable prices. This specific deck is 7.75″ so it is a comfortable size for all ages and weights. The great thing about this board is that it includes MiniLogo bearings and other pro brand parts. The deck also uses a rare waterproof sealant and slide coat to ensure that the deck lasts longer and slides smoother than other skateboards on the market. The overwhelmingly “positive” (no pun intended) reviews speak for themselves with this skateboard.

Mini Cruisers have exploded in popularity in recent years. These short and skinny boards may not have the versatility of a standard skateboard, allowing for a full range of tricks and travel, but they are ideal for urban and college living where space for storage and riding are both minimal. If you want to ride a mini-cruiser, but you hate the plastic decks or you want to build your own, check out the Bamboo Skateboard mini cruiser deck.

Following stints on the US brands Mad Circle and Arcade and a pro model on the then hugely popular European brand Cliche skateboards, Pontus Alv quit his board sponsor and moved back to his hometown of Malmo, Sweden in the early to mid 00’s. During this time Pontus took what might be called a creative hiatus but which would be more accurately explained as a re-connection with his roots. After returning to Malmo, Alv became heavily involved in building and creating the scene there, working alongside friends to build a number of DIY skatespots through the city such as the now legendary Savanna-side and Steppeside projects.